


Colder than Snow

by TheObscure



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: 1940s, Character Death, F/M, M/M, Mental Health Issues, World War II
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:34:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26042764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheObscure/pseuds/TheObscure
Relationships: America/England (Hetalia), Germany/North Italy (Hetalia), Prussia (Hetalia)/Original Female Character(s), Russia (Hetalia)/Original Character(s)





	1. Chapter 1

Pain tore through your abdomen, a searing pain that spread down your right thigh and to your back. You could hear voices talking, though they were muffled and you failed to make them out. You tried to open your eyes, yet they seemed to be sealed shut. You tried to lift your arms, yet they seemed to be as heavy as concrete. You tried to wiggle your fingers slightly, yet they seemed to be glued down. You could feel your heart beating quickly in your chest, good, so you weren't dead. At least, not yet. After what seemed like an eternity of agony and muffled sounds, a voice finally rang in your ears clear as day. 

"Please, save her." 

~~~  
You opened your eyes with a groan that morning, the sound of loud laughter downstairs woke you before you wanted to be woken. Checking the pocket watch on the bedside table, you sighed deeply when you saw the time. 6:46am. When the talking and laughter grew louder, you rose from the bed with an annoyed grunt as you threw your robe around yourself, covering your nightdress, before heading downstairs. The men's voices were coming from the library, getting clearer as you made your way down the stairs. However, when you reached the library door you stopped with your hand on the handle, listening to the familiar sound of your brother's voice. There were other voices in the room, you could also make out Arthur's and Francis'. 

"Look, all I'm saying is I don't trust the guy. Not after I know the sort of company he keeps. Besides, you know who his brother is-" Alfred cut his sentence short when he noticed you creak the door open, he smiled a little to you and raised his cup to his lips, however he seemed a little uneasy. You didn't know what they were talking about, or who, but Arthur's eyes closed and he shook his head when you walked into the room. 

"Oh please, don't stop talking on my account Alfred." You replied, earning a somewhat embarrased look from your older brother. Before Alfred had the chance to respond, you left the warmth of the library and headed down the hall and into the kitchen. You could hear Arthur say something to your brother when you left, however you didn't know what it was. It was freezing cold in the kitchen, too. You hadn't yet got used to the coldness of the Russian winter. You had been here for 2 months now, something to do with Alfred's station here. You placed the heavy, copper kettle on the hook over the open fire and yawned deeply, stretching your arms up into the air and sighing in satisfaction when you felt your back crack. As you gazed out of the window, your eyes narrowed when they settled on what appeared to be a head of brown hair passing the trees towards the end of the large garden. You raised one eyebrow as you watched the person walk past, stopping briefly to look up at the house. Who was this man? You had never seen him before, was he a new soldier under Alfred's command, perhaps? You didn't think the American camp was stationed for another 30 minutes from here. Your mind was brought away from these thoughts when you heard the kettle whistling over the fire. "Bloody hell, are you trying to burn the place down?" Arthur asked as he moved it from the fire, placing the piece of cloth down and fetching two cups from the cabinet, filling the pot with tea once again before pouring two cups. He came to stand beside you, handing a delicate cup and saucer to you with a small smile. "Pay no attention to him, he's just cautious about who he talks business around, is all." You merely nodded and took a drink, instantly smiling when the familiar taste danced across your tongue. "You brought us tea?" You asked, noticing Arthur laugh a little as he scratched the back of his head, nodding. "You've always looked after us when it comes to tea, you've never let us drink a bad cup yet." Arthur chuckled and took a seat at the table, tapping the space beside him and smiling when you took the seat next to him. "Well, that's not entirely true. I let you drink the tea Francis made once, do you remember? God, what a disgusting taste!" Arthur said with a laugh, causing you to laugh along with him with a nod. "Well, that's what Alfred gets for agreeing with him." You smiled to yourself as you sat in silence for a moment, allowing your eyes to inspect the delicate cup. It was porcelain, you thought, painted white with violet flowers painted all along the bottom and top. "You even brought us tea when you and Alfred argued, do you remember?" You asked, instantly regretting it when you said it. You looked over at the British man beside you, sighing when you noticed the look of sadness on his face. He never liked to talk about that period in his life, neither did Alfred. When you felt a hand settle on yours, you smiled to Arthur in apologies and received a small, slightly saddened, smile in return. "You were very young then." Was all Arthur responded before he took a drink from his tea. When you heard footsteps coming down the hall, you jumped when a pair of lips pressed a kiss to your cheek, the familiar feel of a small, prickly beard scratched your skin, causing you to laugh a little. "I just came to say good morning! I have to get back. But I'll be around." Francis said to you with his usual cheerful smile, you nodded and pressed a kiss to his cheek before he bid Arthur goodbye, passing Alred in the hall before he left the old house. When Alfred walked into the kitchen, you noticed Arthur place a hand on yours once again before you took a drink. "I think we should go see this guy, what do you think? Francis seems to think he has some useful information." Alfred asked Arthur as he looked out of the window, in the same place you had seen the Unknown man. Arthur merely hummed and took a drink. With a deep sigh, Alfred turned around and looked at the older man with his eyebrows drawn together in frustration. When he noticed you looking at him, his expression softened a little and he smiled to you. "What's your plans for today then, huh?" You took a drink and shrugged before finally answering. "Reading, no doubt." You bluntly replied, earning a simple nod from your brother. The silence in the room began to grow uncomfortable. You finished your tea in silence and stood, smiling down to Arthur before you placed your cup on the side and walked back upstairs to bathe and dress. ~~~~ Alfred and Arthur headed out later that afternoon, although you didn't know where to. After reading for a few hours, you began to grow bored of sitting in the old, still unfamiliar house with only old records for company. You threw on your large coat, boots, hat and gloves before you walked out into the large garden, enjoying the sound of the soft, pristine snow crunching beneath the heavy soles of your boots. The trees were barren, the leaves had fallen months ago now and laid decaying somewhere beneath the layers of snow. When you heard talking coming from the bottom of the garden, your eyebrows drew together as you began to walk to the fence where the voices were coming from. You didn't recognise the accent and didn't know what they were saying, however you thought you recognised one of the voices. "(name)? What are you doing all the way out here? You'll catch your death! Come inside, we have something to show you." Arthur suddenly called from the top of the garden, causing you to startle slightly before you turned around. You couldn't help but smile when you saw the Brit- he was standing with his arms wrapped tightly around his thickly layered body, still shivering against the cold. "Hurry up, before I freeze!" With a chuckle and a nod to the man, he quickly ran back inside. Before you left, you turned to look back at the fence, wandering if the people were still there. With a shrug, you made your way back inside, banged the snow from your boots before removing them along with your gloves, coat and hat before you made your way into the library. "Oh come on, it's not that cold." You commented when you saw Arthur sitting beside the lit fire with a blanket around his shoulders. He merely shot you a scalding look before he took the small glass of Whiskey Alfred offered to him. When he passed you one too, you took it with a smile and sat down. "Why did you call me inside? And where have you both been all afternoon?" Alfred perched beside you on the arm of the chair and took a drink from his glass as he smiled down to you. "We had some business Francis told us about earlier. We've been invited to a...a... Arthur what was that word he used?" Al asked, causing Arthur to merely shake his head without turning to look at your brother or yourself. "Soirée. Would you like a definition or should I pass you the dictionary?" Arthur replied, causing you to laugh as Alfred merely shook his head and sighed. Arthur was always the same when he was cold- grumpy and somewhat bitter. "Yes, that. We've been invited to one tonight by the man we went to meet today. I've met him a few times before but never properly. He seems like a nice guy, pretty quiet, keeps to himself. I'm surprised he's throwing a party at all." Alfred told you, you merely nodded and took a drink, turning to look at Arthur when he spoke again. "I think his sister did most of the planning, I've forgotten her name. The cheery girl." He said, still without turning around. Alfred swilled his whiskey around his glass with a stern face as he thought. "Irene... I think.. No, that wasn't it. Oh, I can't remember." "Oh! I know who you mean! The one with the huge..." "Alfred!" Arthur snapped, finally turning around to shoot him a warning glare. You merely laughed as you finished your drink and set your glass down. "Are you going to give her the gift or not?" You turned to look at your brother when he stood and retrieved a cream coloured box from the table in the centre of the room. When he handed it to you, you merely raised an eyebrow and took it from him, standing as you set it down in the chair and lifted the lid. Inside was a beautiful evening dress made from Scarlett silk. You gasped as you lifted it from the box, allowing the full length of the dress to fall from it like a fountain. "So? What do you think?" Alfred asked, pushing his glasses up his nose nervously. You burst into smile and embraced him tightly, hearing him laugh as he hugged you in return. "Does that mean you like it?" "Of course she likes it, I told you she would. And will you please tell your brother Scarlett is your favourite colour? He wouldn't believe me." Arthur commented as he poured himself another drink before he smiled to you. You simply nodded to your brother, laughing at his confused expression. "Well, go put it on! And Alfred go change, that suit isn't suitable." As you left the room with the dress, you could hear the two men bickering about what your brother should wear. The dress fit perfectly, the back was low and open to the centre of your spine and the bottom gently trailed along the floor. You tied your long, dark hair delicately and hung an old necklace around your neck- you had been given it as a gift many years ago by an old friend and still wore it on important occasions. When you arrived at the unusual house, you couldn't help but notice the sheer size of it. The red brick had dark green ivy growing up the sides with large icicles hanging from the thick vines. You barely knew anybody inside, you stuck closely to your brother and Arthur, feeling a little nervous. The woman who greeted you was cheerful and beamed a large smile to you. "Oh! Such a beautiful dress! Is that silk? How luxurious! Please, come inside and have a drink! We shall speak later, yes?" Was all she hurriedly said before she made her way to greet more guests. When Alfred made a gesture towards his chest, you simply giggled whilst Arthur slapped his arm. When Alfred left to get the three of you a drink, you startled when you felt a hand gently caress the back of your bare neck before two lips were placed there, causing every hair to stand up on end. "You always did like that, huh?" A familiar voice said as you clung to the necklace around your neck. "Hello? Bonjour? Ah! There she is! What were you thinking about?" Francis asked, causing you to blink harshly as you looked up and smiled to him, bringing your hand away from the necklace. "Oh you look just divine! That colour really suits you, no?" You simply smiled and shrugged before you took the glass of wine from Alfred. It was only when Alfred placed his hand on your back that you were pulled from a daydream once again, gazing up at your brother you noticed him looking down at you with concerned eyes. "It is very nice to meet you, Miss. Francis here has told me much about you." A voice said opposite you, when you looked across your eyes travelled up quite a way until you met the unusual coloured eyes. You had never seen eyes such a colour; they were a strange mixture of grey with a hint of violet. You smiled back to the man and shook his hand when he offered his to you, earning a soft smile from him in return. "And you Mister..." "Bragisnky. Ivan Braginsky. I believe you met my sister Irunya earlier tonight, she was very happy about having people in the house again, so please excuse her excitement." He replied, you merely smiled and nodded, noticing his smile grow. When someone called his name from across the room, he bowed to yourself and the others before leaving. "Isn't he a charming fellow?" Francis asked you, gathering your attention. You turned to look at him and smiled with a small nod, taking a drink from your glass. You were standing in the garden, taking in some of the cold night air. You found it rather refreshing, however you held Francis' coat tighter around your otherwise bare shoulders as you looked up at the sky. At the back of the large house was a forest that seemed to stretch on forever. As you closed your eyes and took a deep breath, however they soon reopened when you heard the familiar sound of a clicking gun. "Hello?! Is someone there?" You called as you walked closer to where the sound came from, hearing someone talking- perhaps to themselves? "Hello? You don't need to hide... Come on ou-" you stopped walking when you felt a sharp pain in your abdomen. Your fingers suddenly loosened their grip on the glass, causing it to fall to the ground where the wine spilled, soon being absorbed by the thick layer of snow. You brought your other hand away from your abdomen and raised it in front of your eyes, seeing blood falling from the tips of your fingers. Your eyes shifted to the edge of the garden, narrowing when your vision blurred and you fell to the ground. "Miss? Miss! Alfred! Arthur! Someone!" You heard someone say, you felt yourself be raised from the ground by something warm. "What the bloody hell was that? Gun fire? Oh no! Alfred!" Pain tore through your abdomen, a searing pain that spread down your right thigh and to your back. You could hear voices talking, though they were muffled and you failed to make them out. You tried to open your eyes, yet they seemed to be sealed shut. You tried to lift your arms, yet they seemed to be as heavy as concrete. You tried to wiggle your fingers slightly, yet they seemed to be glued down. You could feel your heart beating quickly in your chest, good, so you weren't dead. At least, not yet. After what seemed like an eternity of agony and muffled sounds, a voice finally rang in your ears clear as day. "Please. Save her."


	2. Chapter 2

"Where do you think we'll be in 5 years?" He asked beside you, causing you to turn to look at him. You couldn't help but smile when your eyes scanned him: his eyes were fixed on the sky, watching birds fly past high above you both. The wind blew his hair backwards; a style you always thought suited him. He turned his head and his eyes locked with yours, a smile crept onto his face and he rasied an eyebrow. "Like what you see?" He broke into laughter when you gently hit his arm and smiled as you looked back up at the sky. "So? Where do you think we'll be?" 

"I don't know. Maybe we'll still be right here, under this tree, watching these clouds. Do clouds last that long or will they have broken up by then?" You asked, scratching your temple as you thought. Science had never been your strong point- the physics of clouds certainly wasn't. You couldn't help but think Alfred would have mocked you for the question- and the current spiral of thoughts you were in. "We might be married by then." He said in a low voice, as though he didn't want you to hear it. You remained silent and simply looked back up at the sky, noticing the clouds had bunched together even more and the sky-which was just visible behind the clouds- had turned a dark grey. "We should head back, it looks like rain." You said as you stood and brushed the grass and dry leaves from your skirt before holding your hand down to him, however he didn't seem to move. "Aren't you coming?" "I'll be there soon. I just want a little time to myself." Was all he replied, shooting a small smile to you before you left. "Go home, get some rest. You're no good to her like this. I promise the second she wakes I will let you know." An unusual voice said, it was slightly muffled and seemed to echo through your ears. There was silence for a short while before a deep sigh could be heard, followed by the creaking of a chair and footsteps. A hot, clammy hand settled on your forehead, followed by a kiss. "Don't you give up on me, you hear? I'll be back soon." Alfred said before two pairs of footsteps grew further away. You wanted to reply to him, to call out to him, to anyone. However you couldn't speak, move or open your eyes. You didn't know how much time had passed since Alfred had left or even where you were, however when your eyes slowly opened, you didn't recognise your surroundings. You appeared to be laying in a large, antique bed in large room with antique furnishings and huge Windows along the wall in front of the bed. The room was dimly lit by a small lamp and a large open fire. Where were you? Where was Alfred? Or Arthur? "H-hello? Is anybody here?" You called out, making a move to sit up. Suddenly, pain tore through your stomach, causing you to scream loudly and fall onto your side in the foetal position. Tears streamed from your eyes as you cried, screaming out and praying someone would hear you. You soon heard heavy footsteps booming up the stairs and down the hall until the door to the room burst open. "O Bozhe! Are you alright? What happened?" The man asked when he knelt beside you, taking your hands in his to comfort you a little. When your eyes met, you recognised them instantly. It was Ivan, the man from the night before. He smiled a little to you, though you could see the concern in his eyes. "It is okay, you're safe here. Did you try to sit up? I am sorry, I should have been here, you were sleeping so deeply." "What...where am I?" You asked, calming down a little as he continued to hold your hands. With a smile and a nod, Ivan shuffled on his knees, causing them to click loudly. "Let us get you sitting up first, yes? Then you will be comfortable. So, just hold onto me and let me do the work. I am sorry if it hurts for a short moment." With that, he stood, placed his arms around you in a position that led your face to be buried in his jumper, and slowly moved you into an upright position. You felt the same pain in your abdomen. However it wasn't as bad this time. "Nu vot! Is that better?" With a small smile, you nodded in thanks and received a large, warm smile in return. Ivan pulled up the chair beside the bed and sat with a groan. "Now, what were your questions? Ah, yes! You are at my home, after the...incident you were too ill to risk moving any further. Alfred wished to take you home, of course, but it was too risky." "'Incident'? What incident?" You asked, noticing Ivan's eyebrows draw together and the smile fall from his face. You looked down at your stomach, where the pain was coming from and gasped when you felt what you thought was a thick bandage. When you looked back at Ivan, you went wide eyed as you remembered the sound of gunfire. "I...was shot?" Ivan simply nodded and offered a small smile of comfort as you looked back down at your stomach. "That's all i can remember about last night." This caused the look of concern to return to his face as he shuffled forward in the chair, his legs parted slightly as he held his hands together. "Last night? You've been here for a week now." He informed you. Your eyes widened and your jaw fell open, although you found yourself unable to speak. Ivan offered a comforting look before he spoke again. "Alfred has been here for the entire time, until this morning. I told him to head home, clean and rest. He sop no doubt be back later once I inform him you are awake." Ivan had a sweet smile that brought you comfort and ease- it reminded you of something, but you couldn't figure out what it was. "How is the pain? Would you like something for it?" You nodded and watched as he smiled, stood from the chair and walked to a table in the corner of the room to retrieve an old leather satchel. He retrieved a bottle of pills from inside, removed 2 and decantered a glass of water before sitting back on the chair. "Thank you." Was all you said with a small smile before you took the pills, swallowing them before finishing the rest of the water and setting the glass down beside you. "That's a pretty big bag of pills." Ivan chuckled and nodded as he sat back in the chair, crossing one long leg over the other before he slightly adjusted his tie. You couldn't help but notice he was dressed well for a man in his own house. Did he always dress like this, you wondered? "I am a Doctor, do not worry. I do not have an addiction to painkillers." Ivan replied, causing you to laugh. He chuckled a little before he adjusted his tie once again, it seemed to be bothering him. When he noticed you watching him, he moved his hands away from the tie and smiled embarrassingly. "I shall inform Alfred that you are awake. When he is here I shall change your bandages and dressings, yes?" With that, he stood from the chair, bowed his head a little to you and made his way towards the door. "Ivan?" You called, he returned to the end of the bed and smiled as he waited for you to continue. "Thank you." With that, Ivan's smile grew wider and he bowed to you before leaving. ~~~ "You've had us all worried, you know?" Arthur informed you as he sat on the edge of the bed, holding your hand in his. You merely smiled to him, earning a gentle smile in return. "Alfred has hardly slept, he remained in that chair pretty much 22 hours a day. He even ate here." "Ivan said he'd been here a lot. How did he take the news?" You asked, Arthur looked down at you and shrugged his shoulders. "That you'd woken up? He cried like a schoolgirl. He insisted on coming straight away, hence my half shaven face." He remarked, making you laugh before you shuffled a little. "Are you uncomfortable?" With a groan, you nodded and swore when you felt the pain in your wound. Just then, the door to the room opened and Alfred and Ivan stepped in to view. Ivan was carrying another medical bag with him whilst Alfred carried a different bag. "Now, how about we change that dressing, hm?" Ivan said cheerfully with a smile, you nodded and smiled in return. Both men set their bags down and Alfred instantly appeared at the side of the bed and pressed a kiss to your hair. Ever since they arrived not too long ago, Alfred had barely left your side. "Now, Alfred if I turn my back and gather my things could you help Miss (name) undress?" The request caused Alfred to turn to look at the Russian with his eyebrows drawn together. "Dude...she's my sister I can't help her with that!" Alfred exclaimed, causing you to laugh when Arthur groaned, rolled his eyes and stood. Alfred turned to look at him before taking a step back from the bed. "Good Lord, Alfred. At least help me sit her up." Arthur commented, you merely examined the disgruntled looks of the two men as they helped you sit up in the bed, before Alfred turned his back. "Lift your arms, love." You helped Arthur remove the night dress before you covered your chest with a sheet. This was the first time you had seen the bandage on your stomach and you couldn't help but gasp. "Are we all covered up?" Ivan asked, turning around once Arthur replied. Alfred also turned around and you looked at him when you heard him gasp. His eyes were fixed on the floor and you noticed tears welling in them. Your eyes remained locked on Alfred as Ivan removed your bandage: his hands were freezing cold and felt slightly rough against the skin on your abdomen. Alfred didn't lift his eyes once, nor did he let his tears fall. "My my, whoever they were really did get a number on you, hm?" Arthur asked, offering you a comforting smile when you turned to look at him, though you could see concern in his expression. When you heard the door slam closed, you turned to see Alfred was nowhere to be seen. With a deep sigh, Arthur pressed a kiss to the back of your hand before he left the room in search of your brother. "This really has affected Alfred. He didn't know if he'd ever see you awake again." Ivan suddenly said, causing you to look at him. You groaned in pain when a bandage laced with a cold, strong smelling chemical was placed over your wound. "I'm sorry, nearly there now." "Alfred was crying. I've only ever seen him cry once, years ago. When he decided to leave Arthur for a while. At the time, he thought Arthur was holding him back and that they needed space to be themselves. I remember Arthur being heartbroken, although neither will admit that now, of course. I'm sorry... You probably didn't want to hear any of that." You apologised. Ivan looked up at you and smiled as he shook his head. There was something so sweet, so comforting about his smile. "Not at all, please, tell me anything you wish. It is true, Alfred has been upset by your ordeal. But Arthur has been by his side, and yours, through the whole thing. They are both relieved you are back with us. As am I." Ivan replied, causing you to smile before you swore at the pain coming from your wound. "My apologies, but I am all done. How does that feel?" You nodded and smiled in thanks to him. "Splendid! I shall clean up and find Arthur and Alfred to help you redress." You merely nodded and watched the tall man gather the soiled bandages, your old nightgown and bags before he left the room. ~~~ "Well, he hated me." He said as he lit his cigarette and blew out a thick cloud of smoke with a deep sigh, running his hand through his hair as he closed his eyes. You sat down on the wall and looked up at the night sky: it was filled with hundreds of twinkling stars, a small smile drifted on to your face as you examined them for a moment. The smell of cigarette smoke filled your nostrils. "Hey." You turned to see him handing it to you, you took a large inhale of the smoke before handing it back, watching the exhaled smoke climb into the night air. "He didn't hate you. He's just being protective, is all." You finally replied, he remained silent as he continued smoking. When you felt a hand settle on your shoulder, you took it in yours and kissed along the prominent knuckles before resting your cheek against it. His skin was always so cold and soft, it reminded you of silk. "These hands are always colder than snow." He chuckled slightly before throwing the cigarette into the pond, blowing the last of the smoke into the air before he sat beside you on the wall. You felt yourself be pulled into his side as his arm cradled you, his lips pressed a kiss to your hair before you both looked back up at the stars. "Hey, Gil? Where do you think we'll be in 5 years?"


	3. Chapter 3

You had been in Ivan's care for just over a month now. Your wound had healed enough for you to stand and walk without assistance, though you were slow and slightly bent over. Alfred and Arthur had continued to visit every day and Francis had visited a few times. Ivan had organised a get together of them all tonight to celebrate you getting better.

"Hmm... no, that's not quite your colour. Now, let's see... oh, bloody hell where did i put it?!" Arthur exclaimed in annoyance as he searched through the large case of dresses he had brought, making you laugh as you set the teal coloured dress dowm on the bed beside you. "Ah-ha! Here we are, this one will be perfect." When he handed you the deep purple silk cocktail dress, you smiled as you held it against your body and nodded to him, noticing a wide, proud smile beaming back at you. You handed the dress to him and removed the robe you were wearing before carefully stepping into the dress. Arthur zipped the back and closed the button at the top before smiling widley when you turned to face him. "Beautiful! Like a Hollywood star going to Brunch." You merely laughed before you looked at your reflection- it had been a while since you felt this good. The dress pinched in at the waist before widening into a tulip skirt, excentuating your curves. When there was a knock at the door, Alfred walked in and smiled widely when he saw you.

"Someone looks very happy. It suits you." Was all he said, pressing a kiss to your cheek before he turned to Arthur. "We should get going, Francis is coming with us to get ready." The two men pressed kisses to your cheek before leaving the room, informing you that they would return soon. An hour or two passed and you remained in your room, tying your hair into a delicate bun and applying your usual mascara, blush and lipstick. You felt prettier than usual, perhaps given the circumstance of the last month. When a knock sounded from the door, you turned and smiled to Ivan when he opened it. 

"Forgive my intrusion, Miss. I was wondering if you would like to share a glass of wine with..." Ivan trailed off his sentence when his eyes met you- you looked down at your dress, wondering if blood had seeped through the bandage (you had moved more than usual today). However, there was nothing there. He blinked suddenly before his eyes met yours once again and he smiled. He placed two glasses down onto the table and removed the cork from the bottle of wine, smelling it before pouring 2 glasses. You took one and smiled as you clinked it against his and took a drink. 

"You look very handsome, Mr Braginsky." You said, breaking the silence that had decended on the room. Ivan smiled and shrugged before scratching his head nervously, you noticed a small blush on his pale cheeks and you couldn't help but smile. Yourself and Ivan sat talking to one another for a while, you sat on the bed whilst Ivan took the chair. You had grown to know him rather well during the month you had been here, although he was a rather secrative person. When Ivan pulled an old looking pocket watch from his waistcoat, he took a large drink before standing from the chair and offering a hand to you. 

"They should be arriving soon, here, let me help." He said in a soft voice, making you smile as you took his hand. You stood with a groan, your hand tightly gripping Ivan's as you gathered your balance. "Are you okay?" You simply smiled and nodded in response. When your eyes settled on his tie, he noticed and chuckled awkwardly. "Have I not done it right? My sister always tied them for me, so... I never learned. How silly, a Doctor not being able to tie his own tie." You laughed a little before untying the tie and fixing it for him. You could feel Ivan's eyes watching you the whole time, almost burning into your hands. When you were finished, you tapped his chest and smiled up to him.

"There you are. If you ever need help, just ask. I always used to help Alfred before Arthur did it." You told him, noticing him smile and nod. The two of you merely stood closesly to each other like that for a moment, looking at each other in silence. Being this close to Ivan you noticed small details about his face you had never noticed before. He had small wrinkles beside his eyes, smile lines, Francis would call them. The violet twinkle to his pale eyes gave him an almost boyish appearence. 

"There you both are! We were calling you from downstairs." Francis said from the doorway. Ivan quickly stepped back and bowed his head to the man, who was leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed over his chest, a smirk and one raised eyebrow. "Ivan, Alfred was asking for you. He is downstairs in the study." With that, Ivan smiled to you once again before leaving the room. When you heard the door close, you watched Francis as he walked into the room, refilled Ivan's glass and your own before taking a seat on the bed and lighting a cigarette.

"Aren't we joining them?" You asked, raising an eyebrow when he nodded and took a drink. He tapped the bed beside him and motioned for you to take a seat. When you sat beside him, he handed you the cigarette and took a drink. 

"What was going on there?" He asked, you simply turned to look at him and exhaled the smoke, making him laugh as he took the cigarette back. "Please, don't play the innocent. You could cut the sexual tension in here with a knife!" You took a drink from your wine and shook your head. "I was helping him tie his tie, that's all! Not everything is sexual, you know?" You replied, hearing Francis merely hum as he swallowed his wine. "Ivan has been so kind to me. He's taken care of me, nursed me back to health and kept me company when Al and Arthur weren't here. It's only right I show him my gratitude." You turned to look at the Frenchman when he snorted and began to chuckle. "Oh, 'gratitude'? Is that what you kids call it now?" Francis asked through his chuckles. You merely rolled your eyes and took another drink, turning to look at the door when a knock sounded from the other side. When Arthur pushed it open, he raised his eyebrows when he saw Francis sitting beside you on the bed. "What are you doing up here? Everybody is downstairs." Arthur asked as he walked further into the room, you slowly stood from the bed with a quiet groan and smiled as you walked past the Brit. "I'll see you both downstairs." Was all you said before you left the room, hearing the two men begin to talk as you closed the door. ~~~~ The evening was passing well, you had danced with Francis and Alfred and were now sat down having a glass of wine as you watched other couples dancing. You couldn't help but notice Francis had been shooting you glances all evening, winking and smirking to you whenever Ivan was near. When the band finished playing, you placed your glass down and applauded before smiling to Ivan when he approached you. "Would you care to join me for a walk in the garden? The evening air is quite relaxing." He asked as he held a hand down to you. With a smile and a nod, you slid your hand in his and stood with a slight groan. As you both stood in the evening air, beside a large water fountain, you closed your eyes and took a deep breath. "It's been so long since I felt the night air on my skin like this. It was probably here where i was..." You began to say, yet trailed off from your sentence. When you felt a hand settle on yours, you looked across at Ivan and smiled when you saw his expression; he looked relaxed, calm and content. "Thank you for everything you've done for me this last month. I...really dont know what I would have done." "There is no need to thank me. I only did what any medical professional would do." Ivan replied, causing you to smile and nod. "Besides, I have enjoyed having you here and getting to know you." Ivan said this in a quieter voice, deeper than the one you had heard before. When you noticed his head creeping closer to yours, you closed your eyes and responded to the kiss when you felt his lips settle on yours. Ivan's hands settled on your waist and pulled you closer to him, you placed your hands on his chest and felt his heart beating rapidly beneath his shirt. The night around you seemed to stand still: you couldn't hear the wind, nor any noise coming from inside anymore. However, one noise suddenly echoed through the night air, causing you and Ivan to both break the kiss and turn to look towards the end of the garden. Was that a gun clicking? Or a branch being stood on? Ivan suddenly stood and instantly stood in front of you, as though to protect you. "Who's there? I suggest you come out now." Just then, you realised he was reaching for a small handgun attached to a holster behind his jacket. Just then, you heard footsteps running behind the trees at the end of the garden. "Go, get inside! Alfred! Francis!" Ivan shouted for the men as he ran inside, you followed after him, but stopped frozen when you heard a gun click behind you. "Dreh dich langsam um*." When you heard a voice say this quietly and in a low voice, you held your hands up and slowly turned around, instantly going wide eyed when you saw the person standing there. Gilbert's eyes widened and his gun dropped to hang by his side, his lips were parted and you saw his chest begin to rise and fall as his breathing sped up. "You?" When the heard the door open and the voices of the men inside growing closer, you turned to look at Gilbert again to see him looking a little afraid. "Run." Was all you whispered. Gilbert raised an eyebrow before he quickly disappeared into the darkness. You ran to stand here he had been, trying to find him, however there was no sign of him. You placed a hand on the wound on your stomach and felt your head begin to spin, it felt as though the ground behind you was moving slowly. You didn't know when Alfred had reached you, you merely looked in front of you to find him shaking you by the arms, however his voice was muffled. When he ran in the same direction Gilbert had gone, you felt yourself lose balance. "Woah, there!" Ivan exclaimed as he caught you, you turned to look at him before he quickly lifted you as though you weighed nothing. When you were back inside Ivan gently placed you down on the couch in a large study room. You felt yourself begin to warm from the large fire that was lit and Ivan placed an old looking blanket across your body. "Stay here, I'll fetch Arthur to sit with you." When he made a move to stand from the floor, you instantly grabbed his arm and shook his head. Ivan seemed hesitant at first, but he soon nodded and sat beside you on the couch, pulling you close to his side as he brought the blanket across himself. You fell asleep quite soon, enveloped by the warmth of the fire, blanket and Ivan's body heat. Alfred and Arthur were the ones to find you both, you were fast asleep with your head resting on Ivan's lap,whilst he was asleep with one arm cradling you.


	4. Chapter 4

It had been two days since you had seen Gilbert, you hadn't seen him since and none of the men had found any trace of him. You had wondered if you had imagined the whole thing. Ivan had left the house that morning on official business, you had slept a while longer and had read in the library for a while before filling a bath. You had laid in the hot water for at least an hour, enjoying the feeling against the stark coldness of the room. Once you were finished, you wrapped a robe around your body, you opened the window to let out the steam and gasped when you saw Gilbert standing beneath, looking up at the window. You raised one eyebrow when he held his hands up, dropped a small handgun and a larger gun before bringing a knife from his boot and dropped it into the snow with the others. You ran down the stairs, threw on some boots and opened the door, freezing when you saw him standing there. "I thought I'd imagined you." You told him, he merely shook his head and stayed glued to the spot. "Gilbert... what are you doing here? Why have you been hanging around outside Ivan's house?" The questions seemed to gather his interest and his eyebrow lifted, arching above his right eye. "Oh? 'Ivan', is it? Close with the Russian, are you?" He asked, you drew your eyebrows together and started to walk closer to him, releasing he took a few steps backwards. "Why are you still here? Have you been staying here? Are you and him..." "I'm here because I was shot. I'm starting to guess that was your handiwork." You interrupted him, noticing his shocked response. His eyes settled on your hand as it sat above the almost healed bullet wound. "Ivan is a doctor. He was looking after me, I could have died." "I would never shoot you! You should know that!" He shouted, causing you to go slightly wide eyed. "Show me." You merely shook your head and pulled the robe tighter around your body. With a sigh and a head shake, Gilbert stepped forward a little. "It's nothing I haven't seen before, is it?" "It's a little different this time. Besides it's still under bandages." You replied, hearing the snow crunch beneath his heavy boots. "So why are you here?" "I'm stationed not too far from here. An encampment in some woods east of here. I just walk down here sometimes to have some time to myself. I didn't know you were... if I knew I wouldn't..." Gilbert suddenly trailed away from his sentence when he heard an engine on the other side of the house. You turned to look back towards the house and turned to find Gilbert picking his weapons up once again. "I have to go." Was all he said before he quickly turned on his heel and retreated into the bushes once again. You ran after him and tried to call for him, however when you opened your mouth a different voice called out. "(name)! What on earth are you doing out here? You're still wet, you'll catch your death!" Ivan called to you, you felt a heavy coat be placed around your shoulders as you were escorted back inside and into the library, where Ivan instantly knelt in front of the fire and began building it back up with logs. You sat on the couch once again and pulled his trench coat tighter around you, you noticed blood on Ivan's arm, his sleeves were rolled up to below his elbows. "Ivan... are you hurt?" You asked as you knelt beside him on the floor, taking his large arm in your hand and examining it for injuries. He turned to look at you and smiled gently as he shook his head, his free hand gently brushed your cheek and combed backwards into your hair. "I had to operate on a poor fellow. Shot in the dead of night whilst on patrol. The bullet was stuck in his thigh. Quite a messy job." He told you, his voice seemed low and tired. "What were you doing out there?" Your eyes moved up to meet his and you merely shrugged before your eyes travelled back to his arm. Your fingertips followed a thick, prominent vein from his wrist to the crook of his elbow. You could feel Ivan's eyes following your finger as it climbed further up his arm before slowly trickling back down to his wrist, where he opened his hand wide for you to track the lines on his palm. "You know, my sister has a belief that people can see your past and future through the lines on your hand. Like these," Ivan's forefinger appeared in the centre of his palm and pointed to lines. "She says this one means I will live and long and happy life. This one, with one marriage. This means I will have two children." You watched as his hand traced along the lines and smiled gently as he spoke. His hands were enormous, yours seemed like a childs next to his. "She learnt it from our Grandmother. Just a silly old superstition, I think." "I think that's sweet. Something that's been passed down through the generations. All I have is Al teaching me baseball and Arthur teaching me how to sew and dance." You replied, your eyes still hadn't left his fingers as they slowly now moved onto your own hand and gently brushed along your fingers. The fire crackled, reminding you of Ivan's large trench coat around your shoulders. The heat from the fire seemed to encase your body, you gently shuffled the coat from your shoulders and allowed it to fall to the ground with a dull thud. When you felt Ivan's hand slowly slide into yours, you gently leant forward and pressed another kiss to his lips. His lips instantly kissed you back as his hands settled on your waist. You felt yourself be gently lowered onto your back as Ivan continued to kiss you. ~~~ 2 weeks later~~~ "He looks simply stunning, doesn't he? I chose it all out for him from a new boutique back home!" Francis informed the group, to which Arthur hummed in agreement whilst Alfred teased your older brother. Matthew was visiting for the first time in over two years, he looked like he had been taking good care of himself, although now you wondered how much of that was actually Francis' doing. You hadn't told anybody about your kisses with Ivan, nothing more than kisses had happened. However you couldn't deny you were finding yourself growing more attracted to him with each passing day. Francis was throwing a gathering to celebrate Matthew's return, you had all come to the house earlier that evening for drinks and dancing. When the band began to play a new song, you felt a gentle tap on your shoulder which, when you turned around, you found Ivan standing there. "Excuse me but, would you care to show me some of that English dancing you were telling me about?" He asked with a small smile. With a nod and a smile, you took his hand in yours and followed him to the part of the room where people were dancing. He took the usual position- with one hand on your waist and the other in yours whilst your free hand settled on his shoulder- and began to dance. "You look... beautiful, by the way." "Thank you. You dont look so bad yourself." You commented with a wink, causing Ivan to smile and chuckle deeply. You could feel Francis watching the pair of you from across the room and, when you hazarded a glance, he was stood with a wide smirk on his face. As you stood this close to Ivan, you had the pressing urge to kiss him. He looked incredibly handsome: he was dressed in a dark blue suit with a black tie and white shirt that pulled tightly over his broad chest, shoulders and back. Heat radiated from his body and his eyes seemed to glow in the candlelit room. Without thinking, you stopped dancing and quickly walked the two of you across the room and out through the doors, you felt Ivan hurriedly walking behind you with his hand still on your waist. Once you were in the study across the hall, you closed the door and instantly kissed Ivan once you were alone. The heat of the evening had clearly gotten to him, too, as he kissed you back with a sense of desperation as his hands settled on your waist. You placed your hands on his chest and slowly began to undo his tie, pulling it through the collar once it was open. After undoing the first few buttons of his shirt, you slid your hands inside and heard him hum as they slid across his warm chest. This was the first time you had felt Ivan's chest- it felt strong and solid, your fingers passed through a patch of chest hair which you buried them into. When he broke the kiss for air, his head remained close to yours, close enough for you to feel his breath on your skin. "Can we...do this here?" Ivan raised one eyebrow as he slowly shook his head, yet a small smirk remained on his face. When flicked the lock on the door behind you, you watched him in confusion as he led you over to a nearby bookcase and lifted you to sit on one of the shelves. "What are you-?" Your question was cut short when Ivan pressed another kiss to your lips as his hands firmly gripped your thighs, causing you to groan against his lips. You felt one hand climb higher, until it disappeared into your dress and you moaned loudly against his lips. When there was a knock at the door, you instantly moved back from Ivan, however he didn't change his position. The door handle began to rattle as someone on the other side tried to open it, followed by another knock. "Ivan? Ivan are you in there?" Alfred called on the other side, causing you to go wide eyed as you looked at Ivan. He merely smirked at you before he dragged you forward once again with one hand, smashing his lips against yours. "Hey, come on, buddy. Arthur saw you come in here so open the door." When you felt a knot form in the pit of your stomach, you scrunched your eyes tightly and screamed a muffled moan against Ivan's lips. You heard a few quiet, low moans emit from Ivan's chest before he broke the kiss. The smirk remained on his face as he pressed a gentle kiss to your hair and helped you down from the shelf, your knees felt weak as you regained your balance. Alfred's knocking at the door grew louder, finally bringing Ivan's attention to the door. "Go in there, leave a short while after me." Was all he whispered before he kissed you again and made his way to the door. You did as he said, you hid yourself in a nearby cabinet and held your breath when you heard the door unlock and open. "Alfred! Sorry about that, I needed a moment or two to myself. To gather my thoughts." You watched through the slats in the cabinet doors as Ivan walked back into the room, followed by Alfred who was looking around the room, as though he was searching for something. "How can I help you?" "What were you doing in here? Arthur said you came in here with someone." Alfred replied, still searching around the room with his eyes. You tried to stay as still as possible, making no noise and breathed as quietly as possible. "A man can't slip away quietly for a little peace and quiet, huh?" Ivan joked, causing your brother to laugh. "Come along, let us get back to the party, yes?" As the two men left the room, Ivan looked in the direction you were in and shot you a wink, causing you to smile. You waited a moment or two after the men had left, making sure you could no longer hear their footsteps before you left the cabinet and crept into a bathroom nearby before joining the others.


	5. Chapter 5

You moaned as Gilbert's cold lips pressed gentle kisses to the back of your neck before you felt something settle on the skin of your bare chest. You opened your eyes and looked down, seeing a beautiful, shining necklace set in silver sitting there. As you held it carefully in your hands, turning it from side to side to admire the colour of the stone inside, Gilbert pressed another kiss to the back of your neck before one of his hands held yours as the held the charm.

"It's a Garnet. I found it in a small antique store back home. The old lady working there told me it had been her Grandmothers." He whispered into your ear before he pressed a kiss to it, sending electric shocks down your spine. "So? Do you like it?" You turned to face him and burst into a smile as your hands threaded through his hair and you kissed him. He chuckled against your lips as his hands settled on the bottom of your back as he walked the two of you backwards. When he broke the kiss, he looked down at the necklace and smiled to himself. 

"It's beautiful, Gil." You replied with a smile, he simply smiled back to you and kissed you once again.

~~~

"I'm telling you Thursday is just no good. I have commitments, you know?" You heard Alfred shouting from a room upstairs. You were currently sitting in Ivan's library, drinking a cup of tea Arthur had made for you before he was called upstairs by your brother. The two men had been arguing a lot lately, which caused you to worry. 

"We all have commitments and responsibilities, Alfred, not just you. Look at Ivan! He's nursed your sister back to health and continues to look after her _and_ still tends to his duties!" Arthur replied back in a pitch slightly lower than a shout. Arthur was always the one to keep stay the most calm during arguments. For some reason, Arthur's words continued to replay in your head. Had you become a burden to Ivan? It was true that your wound was more or less healed by now, so why had you stayed here? As you sat and thought about all these questions racing around your head, you weren't aware Matthew was standing by the door, watching you with a concerned look on his face. Although he was the oldest, yourself and Matthew had a close relationship. 

"Come on, huh? Let's go for a walk." He suddenly said, startling you. He chuckled at your reaction and held his hands up when you turned to look at him. "Sorry. Come on, get up! Sitting listening to that racket isn't doing you any good. Up, up, up!" You stood with a groan as Matthew took your hands and pulled you to your feet. He placed a heavy coat around your shoulders and you placed the large winter boots on your feet before you left the house. The woods behind Ivan's home were the perfect place to walk, but you couldn't help but wonder if Gilbert was out here somewhere, too. "So, when are you headed home?" You shrugged as you walked with your arm linked in Matthew's, now he was asking. You started to feel like you had most definitely out stayed your welcome.

"I don't know. Any day, I suppose. The wound is fully healed now. I think Ivan is just too polite to ask me to leave." You replied, looking up at him when you heard a small snort. "What?"

"It's nothing. It's just... Francis told me he'd seen the two of you exchanging glances." He told you, smirking as he spoke. You merely rolled your eyes and shook your head. "I know, I know. He gossips too much. I thought that too. Until I saw it for myself." You stopped walking and looked up at your brother when he stopped and turned around, smiling gently down to you. "Come on. I'm your big brother, you thought I wouldn't notice the looks you two give each other?" You simply looked down at your snow covered boots and shrugged.

"We've only kissed a few times. It's not like we've..." You were cut off by Matthew making noises and plugging his ears with his fingers, making you laugh. "Sorry. Hey, Matt? Don't mention it to anyone, okay? Arthur and Al haven't noticed." As the two of you continued to walk arm in arm, Matthew tapped the side of his nose with his finger and winked down to you. "Thanks." When the two of you came to the bottom of the garden, Matthew pushed open the metal fence and stepped inside, holding it open for you. Once you stepped in, you smiled in thanks to him before you stopped walking all together. Matt ran ahead of you whilst you remained glued to the spot. Ivan was knelt on the floor, clutching his side as blood poured onto the pure white snow. 

"(name)!" Matt's voice pulled you from the daydream and you ran over to him. "Go and get Alfred, I need help bringing him in." 

You sat beside the fire, listening to it crackling. The noise had always calmed you ever since you were a small girl. Matt and Alfred had taken Ivan upstairs some time ago and hadn't returned yet. Arthur continued to check on you, bringing you tea every so often. When the door opened once again, you stood from the chair and saw Matt with blood on his shirt. 

"We need you to sew up the wound. None of us can do it." Was all he said before he climbed the stairs once again. You quickly followed behind him and into Ivan's room, the sight that greeted you caused you to gasp: blood stained cloths laid beside him on the bed, his bare side was dripping blood and his chest was slightly smeared. His face seemed paler than usual and he was sweating. He was groaning in pain and speaking in a language you didn't understand- Russian, you guessed. 

"Alright, everyone out. Let's leave her to focus." Arthur commanded the men in the room, who all nodded and left in silence. Matthew stopped to press a kiss to your hair as he left, as did Arthur. "We're just downstairs if you need us, love." With a nod from you, he took one last glance at Ivan before he left. You rolled the sleeve of your blouse up and sat on the bed beside Ivan, placing one hand on his side. "Blyad'*!" Ivan shouted as he squirmed a little, you instantly brought your hand away and placed it in the centre of his chest. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" You said in a panic, causing Ivan to open his eyes and look at you. Despite the obvious pain he was in, his hand slid on top of yours on his chest and he smiled to you. "Ivan? Who did this?" "That matters not. Thank you for coming. My bag is just on the table there." He told you with the same sweet smile and his usual calm tone of voice. With a nod, you stood from the bed to retrieve the bag. You looked down ar your hands, noticing the blood smeared across them. They were shaking, you couldn't help but notice. With a shake of your head, you lifted the bag and returned to Ivan's side, retrieving what you needed from the old looking cherry red leather bag before setting it in the floor beside your feet. As you cleaned more blood away from the wound, Ivan inhaled deeply, clenched his fists and arched his back. His eyes were tightly shut and you could see he was biting the inside if his cheek in pain. When you first threaded the needle through the wound, he almost sat up in the bed as he screamed. "Iisus Khristos**!" "I'm sorry!" Was all you could think to say as you quickly sewed up the wound, taking care not to hurt him anymore than he already was. When you had finished, you cleaned the wound one last time before sitting him up gently to wrap a bandage around his waist. You could feel his eyes watching you as you did this, however you only stopped when his hands came over yours once you had tied the bandage. "All done." Your voice was only a little louder than a whisper, your throat was dry and you felt exhausted. Ivan still smiled to you with the same calm, kind smile, the same as always. "Thank you. I truly mean it." He whispered to you, you simply shook your head and smiled to him. When his lips met yours, you hummed against them and settled your hands on his broad chest. It was only now you thought about it, you realised this was the first time you had seen Ivan without a shirt. He had thin chest hair which led down his stomach, disappearing below the waist line of his trousers. His hips had a visible 'V' shape and his chest seemed strong yet not overly muscular. When you broke the kiss, he exhaled deeply through his nose and closed his eyes. "What is the world coming to when a men cannot walk in his own garden without being shot, hm?" With that, Ivan drifted to sleep. For some reason, his words moved you and you soon felt tears falling from your eyes. You gathered all the mess from the room and quietly closed the door. You made your way to the kitchen, where you began to fill the basin in order to wash the bowls and linen. As you held Ivan's bloodstained shirt in your hands, you began to cry harder as your knees buckled beneath you and you fell to the cold, tiled floor. Matthew found you a few moments later, clutching the garment as you continued to cry on the floor. He ran to your side, kneeling as he cradled you in his arms, asking you over and over what was wrong. "If I see that little shit again-" Ludwig shouted from downstairs. His deep voice always seemed to boom throughout the house- even more so when he shouted. You simply sighed, took a drink and brought the blanket further around your body. You were sitting in Gilbert's bedroom in a chair beside the lit fire reading a book from the shelf. One of Gilbert's blankets was wrapped around your body as you read, feeling truly comfortable. The two men had returned home around an hour ago, joined by someone you didn't know. "This is none of your concern, Gilbert!" You soon heard a door slam shut downstairs, followed by the sound of heavy boots on wooden stairs and floorboards. When the door to the room creaked open, Gilbert peered inside, looking towards the bed before he found you. "Oh, there you are. I thought you would be asleep by now." He commented as he closed the door behind him and removed his coat with a deep sigh. You closed the book and shook your head as you watched him. He looked tired- you knew he hadn't been sleeping well the last few nights you had been in Germany. "What? With that racket going on?" You replied, smiling when he turned to look at you. Gilbert merely chuckled slightly to himself before sitting on the bed, watching you. "What?" He simply shook his head and smiled before he answered. "How did I get so damn lucky?" You simply laughed and shook your head before placing the book on the small table beside you. "Come over here." When he patted the bed beside him, you stood and slowly walked to him, gasping slightly when he grabbed your waist and dragged you down into his lap once you were close enough. His lips instantly pressed against yours as his hands settled on your back. When your eyes opened, you found yourself in the study. The fire was dying down and the cold was settling in. You suddenly remembered Ivan and made a move to stand from the couch, however you noticed an arm cradled around you and your head was resting in someones lap. "Ivan is fine. Alfred is up there with him. Go back to sleep, love." Arthur whispered from the chair beside the window, standing to drape another blanket around both yourself and Matthew, who was fast asleep and snoring as he cradled you closely. "It's the most peaceful I've seen him look for years." With that, he began to throw more logs onto the fire as you felt yourself drifting back into sleep. *-Fuck! **-Jesus Christ!


End file.
